David A. Halperin

The crisis of extremist settler violence in the West Bank must be confronted, and the perpetrators must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. There should be zero tolerance for violent extremism, no matter what form it takes and no matter what direction from which it comes.

The coordinated attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank at the hands of Israeli extremists are unacceptable, and the perpetrators must be arrested and prosecuted. Violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank is a national security threat to Israel and must be treated as such. timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry…

Seems messages from in high are starting to do something - will wait to see if any of them lead to convictions. timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry…

I made a list for tracking the rapidly increasing settler pogroms against Palestinians across the occupied West Bank x.com/i/lists/203571…

Shift happening in Gulf on Iran: - Both Saudi Arabia and UAE inching closer to Trump on war - Qatar cracking down on pro Iran influencers + some Jazeera voices - Kuwait going after Hezbollah elements - Oman keeps distance, contradicts Trump - Bahrain in line w Saudi, UAE

Nope

It is unclear if yesterday’s incident in the northern West Bank that killed an Israeli motorist was a terror attack or a car accident. Either way, Smotrich again calls for the collapse of the Palestinian Authority and full annexation of the West Bank — Which would inevitable mean an overextended IDF that Israel clearly cannot afford, a predictable surge in violence with less capacity to protect civilians on all sides, weakening Israel’s ability to focus energies on the many other fronts, and resulting in more international condemnation, distancing by Arab partners, free falling support in the US, unrest in Jordan, etc, etc. Smotrich calls for actions the would ultimately serve to advance Iran’s and Hamas’s agenda. A Middle Eastern horseshoe. timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry…

The Iran war has worsened pressures in the West Bank: accelerating settlement expansion/legalization, surging settler violence, mass Palestinian displacement, and bureaucratic moves toward de facto annexation. israelpolicyforum.org/the-west-bank-…

The Iran war has shifted focus from Gaza: a post-ceasefire “negative equilibrium” of low-level conflict, Hamas/IDF consolidation, and constant aid needs. Status quo preferences, disputes, and distracted mediators have stalled progress. israelpolicyforum.org/gaza-in-the-sh…

We always knew this day would come. Let's hope this is a crack opening, the start of re-humanizing everyone. And the beginning of the end of zero-sum victimhood & security. All the possible solutions to the terror & insecurity Israelis & Palestinians face depend on it.

🎧Latest #IsraelPolicyPod w/ @GarrettNada on wartime Iran: —Who is actually running the country now, & how —Whither Mojtaba —Regime's war strategy —Why it thinks it may be winning/not losing —Looming/likely escalation —How this all could end + more. israelpolicyforum.org/2026/03/19/why…

This week, Avi Bluth, the IDF head of Central Command, responsible for security in the West Bank, issued a striking letter to political leaders, settler leaders, and influencers. “A violent group of lawbreakers is operating in the territory of Judea and Samaria without restraint, contrary to the law, to IDF values, and to the values of the Jewish people,” he wrote in response to the wave of violence committed by radical settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank. “Their actions are harming people in a population that is not involved in terrorism. This population has no connection to terrorism. The violent activity, carried out in an organized and systematic manner, threatens the rule of law and order in the region, harms the IDF’s mission, and undermines Israel’s security.” Bluth spoke directly to the settler leaders and influencers: “I call upon you—state leaders, rabbis, educators, and opinion leaders—to come to your senses. Do not remain silent. Do not stand aside. Do not allow. Do not cooperate. Do not continue to turn a blind eye after the warning signs have already appeared in the name of ideology.” He also appealed to their ideology and sense of pragmatism: “This situation cannot continue. Moreover, it is intensifying when Judea and Samaria find themselves in a period in which the area of the settlements is significantly expanding, following the establishment of new outposts and the approval of additional construction by the government, and even more so when the connection of all of this to the defense system, alongside the transition to regional brigades, is strengthened.” Of course, it is the expansion of settlements—including the retroactive legalization of those established illegally according to Israeli law—and the integration of the settlement movement within the defense establishment that has created the culture of lawlessness and impunity in the first place. Bluth’s letter is important and direct. But we have seen statements in the past serve to sidestep international criticism, without sufficient follow-up action to prosecute those responsible or stop the daily occurrences of violence. For its part, the Trump administration has paid little attention to settlement expansion or settler violence, with the exception of when it has led to the death of American citizens, nine of whom have now been killed as a result of settler violence since 2022. It is long past overdue that Israel’s leadership—and the United States—address what is happening in the West Bank with urgency. As Israel wages a historic war against Iran, a deepening war in Lebanon, and the possibility of renewed conflict in Gaza, the last thing Israel—or the U.S.—needs is for the West Bank to devolve into even further chaos and conflict. Radical settlers and extremist Palestinians share similar goals—commit acts of terrorism aimed to strike fear in the civilian population, drive residents from their homes, ignite a wider conflict, spark the downfall of the Palestinian Authority, and even destabilize neighboring Jordan.   Bluth should be applauded for his letter. But what happens next is what matters. So long as energies are not directed to stop what are now routine, daily acts of terrorism, we shouldn't be surprised if the extremists succeed in their goals.

Bluth’s letter is pointed and direct. But Israel’s political leaders have consistently downplayed settler terrorism, or issued occasional statements designed to sidestep international criticism without follow-up action to prosecute those responsible or to direct appropriate energies to stop what are now routine, daily occurrences of violence and intimidation.

I shared my thoughts on the current state of the #Iran war with @NeriZilber for @IsraelPolicy4m. We covered who is actually running the Islamic Republic, why Iran thinks it is winning (or at least hasn't lost), potential endgame scenarios and more. Listen: israelpolicyforum.org/2026/03/19/why…

For the Gulf, the war is a double edge sword -- read Amb. Michael Ratney in @TimesofIsrael

Reflecting on Jordan's ambivalent positioning vis-à-vis the Israel-Iran war, Israel Policy Forum Policy Fellow @TheFarahBdour argues that the Israeli-Palestinian issue distorts the country's ability to interpret regional threats. Read this Policy Pulse: israelpolicyforum.org/2026/03/19/jor…

There are legitimate reasons to oppose the Iran war. Doing so shouldn't require amplifying the antisemitic conspiracy theories Joe Kent cited in his resignation as director of the National Counterintelligence Center, argues @mkoplow in this Koplow Column. israelpolicyforum.org/2026/03/18/how…

Whether you support the war or oppose it, Joe Kent is a well known neo nazi racist. No one should be taking anything he says seriously - even if you happen to agree with some elements. x.com/stephenfhayes/…

ADL opposed Joe Kent’s nomination to run NCTC because of his history of antisemitism and extremism. So it’s no surprise that he would blame Israel and the media for pushing the President into war against the Iranian regime. These accusations traffic in old-age antisemitic tropes. And, as we have seen over the past few weeks, they aren’t just slanderous — they’re potentially dangerous.